Brazil

Chapadão de Ferro

Rich dark chocolate and stewed fruits

Deep dark chocolate and almond flavours, followed by typically Brazilian stewed fruit notes, reminiscent of apple pie.

A natural Catuai by Isaltina De Fátima Cruz, grown on the fertile slopes of the dormant Chapadão de Ferro volcano

Producer
Isaltina De Fátima Cruz
Coffee expression
A sweet & rich coffee

Regular price: $17.00
incl. vat/tax
Sale price: $17.00
incl. vat/tax
Regular price: ~~$17.00~~
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Produced by Isaltina De Fátima Cruz and her family on their 20 hectares of land.

Natural Catuai

Chapadão de Ferro

Isaltina De Fátima Cruz inherited 5 hectares of land on the Chapadão de Ferro volcano, beginning her career as a coffee producer. Although, she had been involved in coffee production for many years together with her parents, it took years of hard work to establish herself and begin to grow her operations. Today, together with her husband Valdemir and their children Priscila and Paulo, they have 10 hectares planted with coffee, on a total area of 20. Chapadão de Ferro is not far from the city of Patrocinio, a dormant volcano with high altitude and very fertile soils. This combination of factors mean slowly developed and nourished Catuai cherries, which are harvested a month or two later than most of the rest of the Cerrado Mineiro region.

This, along with a careful natural process, means deep dark chocolate and almond flavours, and typically Brazilian stewed fruit notes, reminiscent of apple pie.

Chapadão de Ferro is a dormant volcano, meaning high altitude and fertile soils.

Brazil

Cerrado Mineiro

The region of Cerrado Mineiro is part of the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. In 2013 the region became the first in Brazil to be granted a protected designation of origin certificate, similar to Champagne or Scotch whisky. To qualify for the title ‘Cerrado’, the coffees must be speciality grade and grown above 800 masl in the Cerrado Mineiro region. The 4500 producers of the Cerrado region produces 6 million bags of coffee a year, from 210,000 hectares of coffee growing lands. Most of the lands here are of quite low altitude compared to most of the coffee we buy here at La Cabra, and are more flat, rather than on more mountainous terrain. The region has characteristic and distinct seasons, with a wet warm summer, and a dry winter, leading to more consistency in growing conditions between years. The dry climate during harvest means less issues with drying coffees, part of the reason so many high quality naturals are produced here.

Technical Data

Producer
Isaltina De Fátima Cruz
Region
Cerrado Mineiro
Altitude
1100 masl
Varietal
Catuai
Process
Natural
Harvest
August 2022

Natural Process

The natural, or dry process, is the traditional process, going back generations. When accomplished in a controlled and careful manner, dry processed coffees can produce flavour experiences not found in wet processed coffees, deep fruits and florals, normally with heavier mouthfeel and lower acidity. The cherries are first sorted, and then laid out on in thin layers (2-6 cm) on raised drying beds. These are almost always used for high quality naturals, as they aid airflow around the coffee as it dries, enabling more even drying.

It is very important that coffees are sorted very carefully early on in the drying process, as all of the cherries quickly turn dark brown, making it impossible to separate under and overripe cherries. The cherries are turned frequently to avoid mold formation or over-fermentation, until they reach a moisture content of below 20%, and the outer cherry layer shrinks and blackens. This process takes between 2 and 4 weeks, depending on weather conditions.

Continue to explore:

Chapadão de Ferro

Cerrado Mineiro

Technical Data

Natural Process